Emergency.Services – AFSCME Privatization Updatehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate
Information on the latest activities, problems, and issues in the contracting out of public servicesWed, 16 Aug 2017 23:19:10 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.5124494553Update public on airport securityhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2017/06/policing-of-hawaii-airport-triggers-lawsuit.htm
Thu, 29 Jun 2017 15:33:24 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38825Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 23 June 2017 Last summer the state awarded Securitas a three-year, $130 million contract for security at all Hawaii airports. …The Hawaii Government Employees Association, meanwhile, is questioning whether private security guards are qualified or legally authorized to have police powers. The union contends that, over the years, the DOT has allowed Securitas to […]

Last summer the state awarded Securitas a three-year, $130 million contract for security at all Hawaii airports. …The Hawaii Government Employees Association, meanwhile, is questioning whether private security guards are qualified or legally authorized to have police powers. The union contends that, over the years, the DOT has allowed Securitas to expand its role. …

The state Transportation Department did confirm that it had given the Public Safety Department a 180-day notice of its intent to terminate an agreement to station 57 deputy sheriffs at the airport. But Fuchigami said he wants to work out a new agreement that gives deputy sheriffs new duties and better coordinates security operations at the airport. … Despite reassurances that the sheriff’s department will remain part of the airport’s security detail the sheriff’s union believes this shake up is an attempt to drive it’s deputies out. “That is our biggest concern that this is just another step toward privatizing law enforcement at the airport and that is something we violently object to,” said Randy Perreira, HGEA Executive Director.

Major changes are in the works at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport with regards to security. The Hawaii Department of Transportation sent a letter to the Department of Public Safety to say deputy sheriffs will no longer be patrolling the airport. The Department of Public Safety tells us it has 57 deputy sheriffs and two civilians working at Honolulu’s airport. … Deputy sheriffs belong to the Hawaii Government Employees Association. The union filed a lawsuit against the state last year because it allowed Securitas to take over some of the law enforcement duties at all of Hawaii’s airports. We asked about this latest issue, and received the following statement from Randy Perreira, HGEA executive director: “HGEA is aware of the letter from the State Department of Transportation to the Department of Public Safety regarding termination of services of State Sheriffs at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. We are working to get more information regarding this issue.

The U.S. Department of Justice continues to build its case against East Texas Medical Center and its ambulance division, Paramedics Plus, in what they say is a $20 million kickback scheme to ensure Paramedics Plus retained lucrative contracts. Most recently, Justice Department attorneys filed a list of people they expect to depose in coming months. In all, more than 100 people could be deposed as this case moves forward. The government also filed a proposed schedule, which outlines when fact discovery will take place, when expert discovery will occur, deadlines for motions and trial preparation and finally, an expected timeframe for the start of the trial – summer of 2018. … In January, the Justice Department announced it would intervene in a lawsuit against ETMC and Paramedics Plus brought by a whistleblower – former employee Stephen Dean, who was Paramedics Plus chief operating officer. According to the suit, ETMC and Paramedics Plus paid more than $20 million in kickbacks and bribes, including cash payments to Oklahoma officials. …

Former U.S Attorney Brian Albritton told Pinellas County Commissioners Tuesday that a federal lawsuit alleging ambulance fee kickbacks could have cost taxpayers as much as $1 billion if they lost in court. Commissioners agreed to settle the case involving Paramedics Plus Sunstar ambulance service for $92,700 and to forgo an estimated $500,000 in uncollected ambulance fees from patients. They will also have to pay legal fees to Albritton who the county secretly hired last year to resolve the case. Pinellas commissioners discussed the case publicly Tuesday for the first time since Eight On Your Side first broke the story of alleged kickbacks and a federal investigation of Pinellas County’s ambulance contract last month. That settlement, signed March 7 by Vice-Chair Kenneth Welch, requires the county to pay $92,700 to federal prosecutors, the Florida Attorney General and attorneys for the whistleblower–a former executive with Paramedics Plus. It also requires Pinellas County to turn over all documents and evidence gathered in the course of the county’s own internal investigation, and to cooperate with an ongoing federal investigation and whistleblower action filed against Paramedics Plus in Texas.

… Since 2004, Paramedics Plus has operated as Pinellas County’s exclusive ambulance provider under the county-owned brand name Sunstar. The current county contract with Paramedics Plus amounts to about $50 million a year. In 2014, a former high-ranking executive of Paramedics Plus filed a whistleblower action in Texas that alleged an ongoing ambulance fee kickback scheme that stretched from Pinellas County to Oklahoma and California for over a decade. The scheme alleged by the whistleblower and federal prosecutors in a related legal action included so-called “profit cap” rebates that essentially funneled overcharges from Medicaid and Medicare to Pinellas County and other local governments that oversee public ambulance contracts. County leaders in Pinellas insist the “rebates” or “kickbacks’ in Pinellas totaled only $35,000 or so and ended up in county bank accounts, not someone’s pockets. In Oklahoma, the whistleblower suit alleges those kickbacks amounted to as much as $20 million. Federal prosecutors in Texas have cited specific acts of corruption in Oklahoma that include kickbacks, political payoffs and self-enrichment involving Paramedics Plus executives and government overseers in Oklahoma. … Pinellas County Administrator Mark Woodard says the settlement has no impact on the county’s ongoing $50 million a year contract with Paramedics Plus because the company has not been charged criminally or been found guilty of anything.

A Texas health system paid an Oklahoma agency and its president $20 million in cash bribes in exchange for lucrative ambulance service contracts over 15 years, federal prosecutors said ( United States ex rel. Dean v. Paramedics Plus, LLC , E.D. Tex., No. 14-cv-203, complaint in intervention 1/23/17 ). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas partially intervened Jan. 23 in a whistle-blower lawsuit, filed under court seal in 2014, accusing East Texas Medical Center Regional Healthcare System (ETMC) of paying the kickbacks to Oklahoma’s Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA). Specifically, the government said ETMC concocted the kickback scheme with EMSA president and co-defendant Herbert S. Williamson, and paid the kickbacks through checks, bank wires and inflated service contracts, mostly through ETMC’s ambulance service company, Paramedics Plus LLC. The government said it paid the defendants over $70 million in Medicare reimbursements and over $38 million in Medicaid reimbursements just from 2009 through 2013, and it was seeking treble damages on all payments tainted by the kickback scheme, plus monetary penalties for each individual false claim submitted. The FCA authorizes monetary fines of up to $11,000 for each false claim submission. The U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment on whether criminal charges against Williamson would be coming in the future. … The complaint describes how Paramedics Plus, which contracted with the EMSA to provide ambulance services within the EMSA’s jurisdiction, was forced to “cut corners” due to the amount of its revenue that went to paying kickbacks. Paramedics Plus “avoided training and personnel expenses” to make sure enough money was available to pay kickbacks to the EMSA and Williamson, according to prosecutors. The complaint alleges Paramedics Plus executives were forced to forgo paying drivers and paramedics retention bonuses to stem high paramedic turnover because the company “would not have enough excess profits to make [Williamson] whole.”

]]>41013JSU Police canceling Calhoun County 911 dispatch service managementhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2017/05/jsu-police-canceling-calhoun-county-911-dispatch-service-management.htm
Wed, 17 May 2017 22:39:48 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=41393Source: Patrick McCreless, The Anniston Star, May 5, 2017 Jacksonville State University police are set to return to in-house dispatch services in July, less than a year after outsourcing those duties in the expectation of improved efficiency. JSU officials now say contracting out the emergency and non-emergency medical calls hasn’t made the dispatch service more […]

Jacksonville State University police are set to return to in-house dispatch services in July, less than a year after outsourcing those duties in the expectation of improved efficiency. JSU officials now say contracting out the emergency and non-emergency medical calls hasn’t made the dispatch service more efficient. The JSU police will instead use a combination of professional dispatchers and student workers to handle all emergency and non-emergency calls moving forward. JSU police Chief Shawn Giddy sent a letter to Calhoun County 911 Monday stating his department no longer wanted the organization to manage its dispatch services. …

Alameda County supervisors extended their ambulance contract with Paramedics Plus by three years despite fierce criticism by firefighters complaining the process wasn’t open for competitive bids and changes in service delivery were not included. … The agreement will lessen fines for failures to hit response times, saving the company about $3.5 million, along with other givebacks from the county, such as reimbursements for some 5150 (mentally unstable) transports and a continued break from paying support fees totaling about $5.5. million annually. The company has said it is bleeding money during its contract and needed the breaks, especially from the “draconian” fine system. Firefighters have complained that the extension should not have been awarded without a proper open bidding process. They believe ambulance service has suffered, and a change to the delivery system, similar to the Contra Costa County model pairing firefighters with private ambulance companies, is preferable. The vote came days after a judge dropped Alameda County from a federal lawsuit alleging it accepted illegal kickbacks from Paramedics Plus. The county was dropped from the suit because it agreed in April to pay $50,000 to the feds and $21,000 in attorney fees for accepting payments from the ambulance company. The company claims the agreement was legal. …

The private-public partnership, apparently the first in California, is probably the best option available because it should slightly speed response time and reduce service duplication, and might enable the county to tap some federal dollars that would otherwise be lost. … But Contra Costans should realize that the plan carries downside financial risk and, contrary to some suggestions, probably won’t provide significant upside benefits for the beleaguered Contra Costa Fire Protection District for years, if at all. … An outside consultant, using current collection rates, estimates that the fire district will collect $39 million the first year and pay out, primarily to AMR, $37 million, netting a $2 million profit. But there are two major caveats. First, the consultant, former Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Chief Stewart Gary, warns in his analysis that declining numbers of patients with insurance to fully cover ambulance bills makes projections difficult and presents “one of the largest risks.” Second, the new venture will need about $9 million of seed money to cover early operations before bill payments start coming in. That advance will come from the fire district’s reserves and must be repaid.

In a search to further savings in a cash-strapped district, Contra Costa Fire has proposed a new partnership with its longtime ambulance provider, American Medical Response. ConFire will take over responsibility for billing and collecting insurance reimbursements as well as the liability if anticipated revenue doesn’t materialize. AMR will essentially function as a subcontractor providing ambulances and paramedics for a set fee. The new approach comes with added risks for taxpayers, but CityGate said that declining insurance reimbursements threaten all public agencies responsible for providing ambulance services. If private providers can’t turn a profit, they said, taxpayers could be asked to keep them afloat. Alameda County’s ambulance provider, Paramedics Plus, recently asked for an injection of $5 million of public funds to cover some of its losses. Contra Costa supervisors said they were still on board with ConFire’s plan and directed the county to proceed with negotiating a five-year contract that would take effect next year.

]]>36233Independence EMS union gets partial victory in dispute with American Medical Responsehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2017/05/union-amr-at-odds-over-turnover-rate.htm
Mon, 15 May 2017 15:39:52 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37351Source: Andy Marso, Kansas City Star, May 12, 2017 The Independence and South Platte emergency medical services union will get some of what it has asked for in its long-running contract dispute with American Medical Response. But the bulk of the fight still lies ahead. Members of the EMS Workers United-Local 1812, which represents […]

The Independence and South Platte emergency medical services union will get some of what it has asked for in its long-running contract dispute with American Medical Response. But the bulk of the fight still lies ahead. Members of the EMS Workers United-Local 1812, which represents emergency medical technicians, paramedics and dispatchers, have been circulating petitions to require Colorado-based AMR to regularly report employee turnover data to Independence officials. They planned to present the petitions to the Independence City Council at its meeting Monday. … Warth said the turnover data will be presented monthly at meetings of the emergency services committee, which includes representatives of the Independence police, fire, AMR and Centerpoint Medical Center. The committee meets every second Thursday. Robert Mills, a member of the EMS Workers United-Local 1812 bargaining team, said he was at the May meeting Thursday morning and no mention was made of the new data-sharing agreement. …

Members of the EMS Workers United-American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1812, which has been in contract negotiations with AMR for a year, say their turnover rate is too high due in part to fatigue and burnout from too many extra-long shifts – potentially putting patients at risk. They want the city’s health department and Emergency Services Committee that advises Health Director Andrew Warlen to have access to employee satisfaction and turnover data on a regular basis. Such a transfer of information is not uncommon in other municipalities contracted with AMR, they say. Furthermore, they believe Warlen is within his authority in the city code to request it. On March 23 the union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board to obtain employee satisfaction information for themselves from the ambulance company. …

The union that represents emergency service technicians with the American Medical Response (AMR) are in a dispute with the city of Independence and the company. EMS Workers United-AFSCME said the city isn’t asking tough questions and the company isn’t being transparent, that they say that could put lives in danger. … According to her union, the employee turnover rate last year was 23 percent twice the national average. … In Independence, the city’s health director monitors response times monthly. Union members want him to do more that. “That’s currently the only metric that the city is measuring, then we’re not getting a full picture of our emergency care here,” Robert Mills, an EMT at AMR, said. … But the union points to ordinance SEC. 19.04.004. A.1 in the city’s code that allows the health director to request more reports in additional to response times.

]]>37351Niagara County pushes for new county-wide ambulance servicehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2017/04/town-of-niagara-ends-ambulance-roulette-signs-with-mercy-ems.htm
Tue, 11 Apr 2017 02:43:36 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=39039Source: Jenn Schanz, News 4 Reporter, April 3, 2017 Officials in Niagara County want Mercy EMS to provide county-wide ambulance services. The non-profit would replace Twin City and American Medical Response, which are currently providing services to the county. The conflict started in the summer of 2016, when American Medical Response pulled out of the […]

Officials in Niagara County want Mercy EMS to provide county-wide ambulance services. The non-profit would replace Twin City and American Medical Response, which are currently providing services to the county. The conflict started in the summer of 2016, when American Medical Response pulled out of the majority of Niagara County. … Kelemen stated response times for rural mental health patients have been so bad so that law enforcement has had to help. … That often deters patients from wanting to call for help again, Kelemen told us. Schultz pointed out it also takes deputies off the street. …

Town of Niagara lawmakers met in an emergency session Wednesday, to approve a contract with Mercy EMS for ambulance services, rejecting an offer from the previous ambulance provider to continue its services. Local officials across Western New York have struggling with complaints about the reliability of ambulance services, across the board, which can often be the difference between life and death. Niagara town officials settled on Mercy because they were getting fed up with the AMR/Rural Metro’s lack of commitment, said Town Supervisor Lee Wallace … Rural Metro, and its successor AMR Emergency Medical Services, had been providing ambulance service for years, then last month, AMR gave town officials a 30-day notice they were terminating their contract. … In fact, AMR notified public safety officials they were pulling out of Niagara County altogether, except for the City of Niagara Falls, St. Mary’s Hospital, and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. Then when local officials started looking to other ambulance services, an about face by AMR–they would like to stay with the Town of Niagara. Wallace said that was just too much uncertainty, so the town is going with Mercy ambulance service starting Monday, rather than returning to the bargaining table with AMR. …

Chittenden County towns are exploring whether they can combine local dispatch offices into one regionalized dispatch center, which officials believe could increase the efficiency of providing emergency services. … However, many questions still remain, including whether this will cost or save towns and cities money and whether all dispatchers employed now will keep their jobs. … Colchester dispatcher Earl Benway, who has held his position for 16 years, says he’s in favor of the idea, but thinks the plan needs to be more specific. Benway serves as the vice president for the local union that includes dispatchers and other employees in the Burlington area, in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1343. Benway said there are concerns over whether employees will have to reapply for their jobs, what the pay scales may be and how a union may fit in. … Benway said one negative of consolidation will be losing the local, familiar relationships with police officers and the public that the dispatchers serve. … Representatives from Milton, Colchester and Shelburne say they’re interested by the idea that has been presented to them and are willing to work through many of the questions that remain. … Baker said the committee is pushing to get recommendations to the elected bodies in each town by this fall. Those elected bodies will then determine whether the plan can be brought to its residents on Town Meeting Day. …

]]>41129AMR’s D.C. Crews Vote to Form Local Unionhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2017/03/d-c-911-response-times-under-scrutiny.htm
Mon, 27 Mar 2017 13:50:21 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=39692Source: EMS World, March 24, 2017 Nearly 200 EMS professionals at American Medical Response (AMR) have voted to form a local union with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council 20. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) conducted the union election on Tuesday and Thursday. The NLRB counted ballots Thursday […]

Nearly 200 EMS professionals at American Medical Response (AMR) have voted to form a local union with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council 20. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) conducted the union election on Tuesday and Thursday. The NLRB counted ballots Thursday evening with more than 70% voting in favor of unionizing. EMTs and paramedics at AMR transport patients to and from facilities across the metro area and provide backup 9-1-1 medical response in coordination with the DC Fire Department. The private EMS provider signed a contract with the district in 2017. Workers formed a union to address ongoing issues that impact patient care, such as scheduling, fatigue, training, equipment and employee turnover. …

In the year since the American Medical Response private ambulances came on, the number of horror stories around D.C. ambulance care have mostly gone away. But workers are voting Tuesday and Thursday on whether to have the AFSCME, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, union represent them. Since march of last year, AMR’s private ambulances take the low priority patients in D.C. freeing up the city’s ambulance for the more serious cases. But some of the EMTs and paramedics of AMR are saying they are pushing for a union, hoping for better equipment, better training and scheduling. … D.C. currently spends $12 million a year with AMR.

Several first responders for a city medical transportation contractor said thieves are breaking into their cars while they are responding to emergency calls across the District. Ambulances for American Medical Response are dispatched to several hospitals around Washington D.C. But their employees said a parking problem at work is making their cars targets to theft. Paramedic Kyle Seymour said his employers refuses to move the ambulances in their parking lot to give workers a place to park in. …

]]>39692Knox County family sues Rural/Metro for death of sonhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2017/02/knox-county-family-sues-ruralmetro-for-death-of-son.htm
Mon, 27 Feb 2017 21:29:10 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=40759Source: Kelly Reinke, WATE, February 24, 2017 An East Tennessee family is suing Rural/Metro for the death of their 14-year-old son. Andrew Merrell died in a car accident in Corryton in 2016. The family said Rural/Metro did not have the right tools to save their son. … The lawsuit said responders did not have the […]

An East Tennessee family is suing Rural/Metro for the death of their 14-year-old son. Andrew Merrell died in a car accident in Corryton in 2016. The family said Rural/Metro did not have the right tools to save their son. … The lawsuit said responders did not have the necessary equipment to get Andrew Merrell out of the car and because of that he died. … Jones said some Rural/Metro stations have this equipment, big saws commonly referred to as the “jaws of life.” He also said Rural/Metro dispatched a unit 30 minutes away from the crash that did not have these tools. “There was a station that was three miles away from the Grainger County lines that could have provided these services,” said Jones. …

]]>40759Consumers Sent to Collections Before Getting A Billhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2017/02/consumers-sent-to-collections-before-getting-a-bill.htm
Tue, 07 Feb 2017 19:30:08 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=40475Source: Chris Chmura, Joe Rojas, Tom Jones and Bob Hansen, NBC Bay Area, February 2, 2017 More than two dozen Bay Area consumers say they were sent to a debt collector before they ever had a chance to pay the bill. … More than people 70 contacted our sister station in San Diego to share […]

More than two dozen Bay Area consumers say they were sent to a debt collector before they ever had a chance to pay the bill. … More than people 70 contacted our sister station in San Diego to share the same story: They also received a notice from the debt collector before they ever saw a bill — and after it was too late to file an insurance claim. … We asked Rural/Metro, the ambulance company, for an explanation. It declined our request for an interview. In a statement, a spokesman acknowledged an error, though he wouldn’t tell us how many people were mistakenly sent to collections. … We forwarded the 25 complaints we received to Rural/Metro. A specialist reviewed each one, then closed all of them, erasing almost $35,000 in debts. … We pressed both Rural/metro and Credence about whether this billing error would stain people’s credit history. In a statement, the Credence compliance officer said they would not. … Anna is also relieved that her credit history is clear. But she’s questioning what would have happened if we hadn’t spoken up for patients like her. … Credence called this kind of mistake “rare.” Rural/Metro told us it has “instituted new procedures to ensure it does not happen again.”

]]>40475Rural/Metro Misses City Mandated Ambulance Response Times Again In Octoberhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/12/ruralmetro-misses-city-mandated-ambulance-response-times-again-in-october.htm
Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:57:39 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=40176Source: Tom Jones and Mari Payton, NBC San Diego, December 8, 2016 Rural/Metro ambulances have failed to meet mandated emergency response times again in the City of San Diego, according to a new report released to NBC 7 Investigates. This latest report shows the ambulance company, now owned by American Medical Response or AMR, missed […]

Rural/Metro ambulances have failed to meet mandated emergency response times again in the City of San Diego, according to a new report released to NBC 7 Investigates. This latest report shows the ambulance company, now owned by American Medical Response or AMR, missed the city mandated response times in six of the eight medical response zones in San Diego for the month of October. … According to the company’s contract with the city, it is required to meet a response time of 12 minutes or less, 90% of the time. In an email, Gina La Mantia, Deputy Chief of Emergency Medical Services for the City of San Diego said, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department is “disappointed” Rural/Metro ambulances have not met response time goals but the company has “demonstrated marked improvement in November.” A former Rural/Metro emergency medical technician, EMT, told NBC 7 Investigates he witnessed situations where no ambulances were available to respond to calls. … In a ‘Level Zero’ situation, a page is sent out to all emergency crews alerting paramedics on calls to finish as soon as possible so they can be placed back into the rotation. Ross said he witnessed ‘Level Zero’ alerts sent to emergency personnel on a weekly basis. NBC 7 Investigates reached out to AMR, the company that owns Rural/Metro, for comment regarding not meeting mandated response times and ‘Level Zero’ situations. The company declined an on-camera interview and provided a statement to NBC 7 Investigates. …

Officials with American Medical Response said Thursday they’re now meeting the city of San Diego’s benchmark ambulance response times, following months of shortfalls by predecessor Rural/Metro Corp. At a meeting of the City Council’s Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee, AMR Operations Manager Mike Rice said five ambulances have been added to their San Diego fleet. AMR, which recently completed its purchase of Rural/Metro, became compliant with the city’s response time goals Wednesday, Rice said. The times vary depending on the zone. … The firm is required under a five-year contract with the city — that it assumed after the Rural/Metro buyout — to meet certain response times in four zones 90 percent of the time. However, data from July, August and September showed that the benchmarks were met between 84 percent and 87 percent of the time. Rice told committee members that they haven’t been able to fill all the regular shifts in San Diego, even by offering overtime to employees, so medics were brought in from other regions to fill the void. Those unfamiliar with protocols particular to San Diego are being paired up with employees with experience in the city, he said.

American Medical Response said it is bringing experts from inside the company to assess why Rural Metro was not meeting the requirement that its ambulances be on scene within 12 minutes at least 90 percent of the time. The new company has already brought in five additional ambulances to serve the city. … Rural Metro had submitted a plan to correct problems to the city on Oct. 16, before the sale was finalized. AMR plans to submit a correction plan to the city. At the moment, the new company does not plan to combine operations with any of its suburban operations.

Under its contract, Rural Metro is required to report complaints like Miranda’s to the San Diego Fire Department every month. The idea is for city officials to track the number of dissatisfied customers — and monitor how the company responds. Section 7.5 of the agreement is titled “Monthly Records,” a paragraph that calls for Rural Metro to provide records detailing the company’s clinical and operational performance within the first 15 days of the next calendar month. … Deputy Fire Chief Colin Stowell said the department does not enforce that provision of the agreement — and hasn’t asked for complaint records or responses in years. After being asked to explain why the city is not enforcing the contract, Stowell said the city would begin collecting the information.

The sale of Rural Metro Corp., which has a city contract to provide ambulance services in San Diego, closed on Wednesday. The Scottsdale, Arizona, company was sold to the parent company of rival American Medical Response, or AMR, based in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The sale price was announced as “approximately $620 million.” The company said Rural Metro generates $590 million in annual revenue, and the buyer expects operating savings of up to $28 million through 2017 by integrating the two services. …

Fined $230,000 earlier this month for failing to meet required response times, San Diego’s ambulance provider said Monday it plans to offer double-time pay to current employees and $3,000 signing bonuses to qualified applicants to reduce delays in service. Rural Metro Corp. also will add 800-plus unit hours per week, for a new total of 5,453 hours a week, so more paramedics and emergency medical technicians are available to transport patients. … Rural Metro likely could have been sanctioned for failing to meet response standards between January and June except a glitch in the city’s computer system incorrectly recorded times for 911 calls and the resulting dispatches and arrivals.

The city of San Diego is fining its ambulance contractor, Rural Metro, $230,000 for failing to meet emergency response-time requirements, according to a city compliance report. The company’s contract with the city requires its ambulances to arrive at high-priority medical emergency calls within 12 minutes at least 90 percent of the time. Documents released to NBC 7 Investigates show Rural Metro has not met that 90 percent mark during the last three months. According to the report, ambulances arrived within the 12 minute time window 87 percent of the time.

The Rural/Metro explanation is a plausible explanation for some of the problems with ambulance delays, but it is not an acceptable one for a matter involving public safety. Fixing this problem shouldn’t just be a top priority for Mainar. It should be for Mayor Kevin Faulconer and the City Council as well. With Rural/Metro having secured a new five-year contract with the city in June, the company might not be inclined to address this issue with the urgency it deserves.continue reading

The town will investigate the potential cost savings of hiring a private ambulance company to provide emergency services in Mashpee instead of the Mashpee Fire Rescue Department. The move has prompted concerns among firefighters. The Mashpee Board of Selectmen on Monday, October 31, unanimously granted Town Manager Rodney C. Collins’s request to pursue a feasibility study into the operational efficiency of the Mashpee Fire Department in an effort to investigate where spending could be reduced across the town’s operating budget. … The approval of the study has elicited a response from the local firefighters union and arrives only weeks after the town and fire union settled a long-standing contract dispute. On October 17, Town Meeting approved the appropriation of $404,000 to fund a firefighters union contract settlement effective July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2017. The agreement marked the end of a dispute that went through arbitration and pitted the firefighter’s union against the town. … Much of the service local firefighters provide is through ambulance services. According to fire officials, emergency medical service (EMS) calls compared to fire-related calls have remained consistent at around 65 percent EMS and 35 percent fire for the last 25 years. All of the local firefighters are certified as emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or paramedics. Mr. Collins was clear at the October 31 meeting that besides starting the feasibility study, selectmen were taking no action to hire a private company. …

]]>39965County leaders consider pros and cons of ambulance service switchhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/10/county-leaders-consider-pros-and-cons-of-ambulance-service-switch.htm
Mon, 17 Oct 2016 15:27:08 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=39777Source: Tiffany Neely, WBRC, October 13, 2016 Shelby County discussed some possible changes to its ambulance system at a public works committee meeting on Thursday. Plans were laid out for a future ambulance system run by the Shelby County Fire Department. The committee will soon decide whether to use that system or keep the current system, American […]

Shelby County discussed some possible changes to its ambulance system at a public works committee meeting on Thursday. Plans were laid out for a future ambulance system run by the Shelby County Fire Department. The committee will soon decide whether to use that system or keep the current system, American Medical Response. … The debate comes after American Medical Response requested a few changes to their contract that could more than double costs for the county. That’s why the county is considering using fire department employees to man the ambulances as well. … Shelby County Fire Department proposed a plan with a total of almost $600,000 less than AMR, but they said there will be a 12 percent fire fee increase. Commissioners said they the proposal is looking like the winning option, but the decision is about more than cost—it’s about the safety of Shelby County citizens. … The final decision will come Monday. The switch could come as soon as January 2017, however, it would mean a $3 tax increase per month for county residents. …

Ambulance provider American Medical Response has notified Shelby County government it is not making money under the current $1.7 million annual contract and given the county until Aug. 31 to pay more or end the agreement. Officials with Colorado-based AMR sent a letter to county fire Chief Alvin Benson last month detailing the proposed changes. It was not immediately clear how the proposed changes would affect fire fees or ambulance service for the areas that are part of the contract: unincorporated Shelby County and Arlington, Lakeland and Millington. … AMR has proposed three options: first, creating a hybridized service paying AMR an additional $2.2 million per year and requiring the Shelby County Fire Department to staff two ambulances and make calls; second, increasing the contract by $2.8 million per year; third, terminating the agreement after 120 days, allowing the county to bid the contract again. … He has also not ruled out the county providing ambulance service — buying the necessary equipment and hiring trained personnel. Adding to the dilemma, the demand comes more than a month after the county adopted the 2017 budget. …

The company that runs ambulance service in much of Shelby County, American Medical Response (A-M-R) is telling folks they are losing money. They are asking for a big increase. So big, as Local 24 Watchdog Mike Matthews tells us, Shelby County officials are considering running the ambulance service themselves. … Here is one thing everybody is hearing. A-M-R officials say they are losing money running ambulance service in Shelby County. They want an increase in money; an increase that some say is about double of what they get now. … If the Shelby County officials were to give A-M-R the increase they want, they would probably have to raise fire fees. County residents pay fire fees for these types of services, and that increase would affect a lot of people who have A-M-R ambulance service. … Now, the future might mean Shelby County ends up running their service. According to Kennedy, “Obviously we will be looking to see how much it costs for us to operate the service, as opposed to contracting it out. What kind of revenues we could get.” …

]]>39777Public meeting held to raise support in keeping Hamilton County ambulance servicehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/08/public-meeting-held-to-raise-support-in-keeping-hamilton-county-ambulance-service.htm
Mon, 15 Aug 2016 16:48:46 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=39041Source: Austin Miller, NBC Nebraska, August 12, 2016 Dozens of Hamilton County community members are voicing their concerns about a plan to privatize the county’s ambulance service. More than 40 people attended a town meeting Thursday night in Giltner to show their support for the current ambulance service. The meeting was organized by the Giltner […]

Dozens of Hamilton County community members are voicing their concerns about a plan to privatize the county’s ambulance service. More than 40 people attended a town meeting Thursday night in Giltner to show their support for the current ambulance service. The meeting was organized by the Giltner Fire Department, which opposes the county’s proposal. Last week county commissioners proposed a plan to privatize the service and said they believe can save the county money. … During Thursday’s meeting, members of the ambulance service spoke about the concerns they have. One of which is that while the county could save money up front, they believe a private company could take away all of the county’s ambulance equipment and leave, if the company doesn’t find the area profitable. … Barbara Preissler said she’s willing to pay the tax to keep the current ambulance service said she’s worried about the quality of care a private service could provide.. …

]]>39041County unlikely to privatize EMS, librarieshttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/08/county-unlikely-to-privatize-ems-libraries.htm
Mon, 15 Aug 2016 15:42:44 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=39016Source: Gary Pinnell, Highlands Today, August 14, 2016 A push to transfer 10 county departments to private employers began in 2013 when Positive Mobility’s Ron Layne suggested ambulances for hire should transport non-emergency patients. Tea party members stood in front of the county commission and lobbied for months for Layne’s plan. … But the emergency […]

A push to transfer 10 county departments to private employers began in 2013 when Positive Mobility’s Ron Layne suggested ambulances for hire should transport non-emergency patients. Tea party members stood in front of the county commission and lobbied for months for Layne’s plan. … But the emergency part of the ambulance service is unlikely to be privatized, three commissioners said Tuesday. … The commissioners went a lot farther down the road to privatizing county services in a 2014 goal-setting workshop: recycling, landfill, libraries, Healthy Families, real estate surveying, fleet maintenance, asphalt production and road paving. Bids were accepted for janitorial services for county offices, but the issue was always a non-starter with constitutional officers. … Elwell pointed out in November that the county privatized tourism by replacing tourism director John Scherlacher with a contract with Gray Dog Communications. Brooks and Elwell said privatizing libraries was a non-starter. … The county continues to look at farming out Healthy Families, a home visitation program for expectant parents and parents of newborns. The program is designed to educate parents and improve childhood outcomes. An Aug. 2 note from County Administrator June Fisher to commissioners said, “holding periodic meetings with interested parties and non-profits to continue the discussion of partnership opportunities.” Commissioners un-privatized the county attorney’s office. Last year, Ross Macbeth was in private practice and billed the county an average of $246,000 per year. …

Nineteen months after commissioners agreed to privatize 10 Highlands County functions, they’re still months away from completing the second item. The top-ten list that came out of the March 2, 2014 goal-setting workshop included transferring EMS to private ambulance companies, recycling, legal services, fleet maintenance, real estate surveying, Healthy Families and janitorial. Contracting with a company to clean county buildings is now off the table. … Handley doesn’t think privatizing the landfill will happen, though. … In a report to commissioners last week, County Administrator June Fisher said EMS revenues and expenditures have been reviewed. “We’re still waiting on a needs assessment,” Elwell said. The final report will disclose options for EMS and the volunteer fire departments to combine. “Maybe we could move toward fire-rescue, and have one crew instead of two, with cross-trained personnel.” … “I don’t think EMS will be privatized,” Richie said. … Commissioners un-privatized the county attorney. Ross Macbeth was a part-timer who ran a private practice and contracted with the county. But during one three-year period, he billed $1 million, and the commissioners saw a cost-saving opportunity. As of Oct. 1, Macbeth has moved into a county office, and hired a secretary and assistant attorney, both to be paid by the county. … County staff visited a county library in Sumter County that had been privatized. “The staff met them, and they said they would not recommend it. It’s a different situation, and the people they met with didn’t recommend it.”

]]>39016Opinion: EMS too important to privatizehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/08/opinion-ems-too-important-to-privatize.htm
Wed, 03 Aug 2016 14:55:00 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38931Source: Jim Howell, Derby Inquirer, July 29, 2016 Sedgwick County has invested for decades to develop an excellent EMS system. If you have a medical emergency in Sedgwick County, you can have confidence in the robust system of first responder emergency care. Our system is second to none. … Recently, Wichita city councilmembers discussed the […]

Sedgwick County has invested for decades to develop an excellent EMS system. If you have a medical emergency in Sedgwick County, you can have confidence in the robust system of first responder emergency care. Our system is second to none. … Recently, Wichita city councilmembers discussed the possibility of terminating the EMS agreement between our two organizations to allow private companies the ability to provide non-emergent transport services within Wichita’s city limits. Non-emergent transports are used in non-lifethreatening calls like taking someone from a nursing home to the hospital for routine tests. Fortunately for Wichitans, the council did not have enough votes to terminate the agreement. Nevertheless, the council seems determined to terminate the agreement and will revisit that opportunity soon. This is an important issue that may affect all of our EMS stakeholders. … Shifting the non-emergency transport service to the private sector may seem like a free-market idea but the time to have had this discussion was 30 years ago. Please understand that if the non-emergent transports are shifted to the private sector now, it will have a significant impact on the balanced system of care currently in place. We will be forced to decide between reducing services, shifting existing revenue within the budget, raising taxes, or raising ambulance fees. This proposal is creating instability and uncertainty for our existing system. …

]]>38931New ambulance contract signed with Grady EMShttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/07/new-ambulance-contract-signed-with-grady-ems.htm
Mon, 25 Jul 2016 13:05:58 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38792Source: Billy Hobbs, Union-Recorder, July 22, 2016 Officials with Oconee Regional Medical Center in Milledgeville have decided to do business with a new ambulance service. Hospital representatives recently made it official when they offered a contract to officials with Grady Emergency Medical Services of Atlanta. … Grady EMS will officially take over the ambulance service […]

Officials with Oconee Regional Medical Center in Milledgeville have decided to do business with a new ambulance service. Hospital representatives recently made it official when they offered a contract to officials with Grady Emergency Medical Services of Atlanta. … Grady EMS will officially take over the ambulance service in Milledgeville and Baldwin County on Oct. 1, Johnson said. For the past nine years, ambulance service to local residents and others in the city and county had been provided through a contractual agreement with The Medical Center of Navicent Health Emergency Medical Services in Macon. … Recently, officials with Grady EMS made another presentation to local hospital officials, and announced that they already had spent more than $500,000 to purchase five new ambulances to serve the estimated 46,500 residents who live in Milledgeville and Baldwin County. …

Officials with Oconee Regional Medical Center in Milledgeville are expected to offer Grady Emergency Medical Services of Atlanta a contract next week to provide emergency ambulance service to the residents of Milledgeville and Baldwin County, The Union-Recorder has learned. Grady EMS will be taking over operations of the local ambulance service Oct. 1. … Grady EMS would replace The Medical Center of Navicent Health EMS, which has provided emergency ambulance service to Milledgeville and Baldwin County residents for a little more than nine years. … He also said Grady EMS officials have agreed to compensate current ambulance service personnel with the same pay they now receive, if they decide to apply for a job with them. Insurance and other benefits would be made available to new employees the first month following the date of employment with the new ambulance provider. …

]]>38792Atlantic City council to consider seeking bids to outsource serviceshttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/07/atlantic-city-council-to-consider-seeking-bids-to-outsource-services.htm
Thu, 14 Jul 2016 15:39:47 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38756Source: Christian Hetrick, Press of Atlantic City, July 13, 2016 City Council on Wednesday will consider seeking bids to outsource some municipal services. Council will vote on requesting proposals for the operation of the Construction Division, payroll services and emergency dispatch services. Entering shared services agreements or giving contracts to lowest bidders to was mentioned in […]

City Council on Wednesday will consider seeking bids to outsource some municipal services. Council will vote on requesting proposals for the operation of the Construction Division, payroll services and emergency dispatch services. Entering shared services agreements or giving contracts to lowest bidders to was mentioned in a June meeting on the city’s fiscal recovery plan. … City Council on Wednesday will consider seeking bids to outsource some municipal services. Council will vote on requesting proposals for the operation of the Construction Division, payroll services and emergency dispatch services. Entering shared services agreements or giving contracts to lowest bidders to was mentioned in a June meeting on the city’s fiscal recovery plan. The city’s 2015 budget doesn’t specify the costs of the Construction Division, which is within the Licensing & Inspections Department, or payroll and dispatch services. … The council recently approved seeking bids for trash and recycling collection. Levinson said the county is reviewing the city’s Meals on Wheels transportation service costs to see if the county can do to for cheaper. The council will also vote on authorizing the city to sell developer Bart Blatstein Garden Pier for $1.5 million and awarding a contract to a company to sell ads on the exterior of some city vehicles. …

Federal safety and health investigators found Altamont Ambulance Service Inc. failed to follow specific guidelines to protect emergency healthcare workers from exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other hazards while providing patient care. On July 6, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued five willful, 16 serious and three other-than-serious safety and health violations to the emergency medical service provider with proposed penalties of $290,100. The agency opened inspections in January 2016, after receiving a complaint alleging violations of OSHA’s bloodborne pathogen exposure and various other health and safety standards. …

… The agency’s Fairview Heights area office found the employer failed to:

Establish an exposure control plan for bloodborne pathogens and other potentially infectious material.

Make Hepatitis B vaccination series available to employees.

Train workers about chemical and bloodborne pathogen hazards and precautions.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an inspection of already-embattled Altamont Ambulance Services, Inc. The administration opened the inspection Jan. 6, according to the OSHA website. Area Director Aaron Priddy of the administration’s Fairview Heights office would not go into specifics about the probe, but he confirmed there has been a complaint filed against the service. Altamont Ambulance has been the sole emergency ambulance provider in Effingham County since 2004. In November 2014 the county sought to open the ambulance market to other providers, but that move is tied up in court. …

Mayor Tony George’s administration has abandoned efforts to privatize the city’s ambulance service “at this time” because of provisions in the union contract covering city paramedics, the city’s open records officer said in response to a Right-to-Know request filed by The Citizens’ Voice. … Tom Borum, business manager for the union representing the city’s eight paramedics, said the administration also told him the proposals were thrown away and no longer available for him to review. “That’s the same information I got when I asked about it,” said Borum, the leader of Laborers’ International Union of North America, Local 1310. Borum said it’s the union’s position that the current contract for city paramedics prohibits privatization. …

Trans-Med’s first high-profile test during a medical emergency came Thursday morning when a man was stabbed multiple times at the Sherman Hills Apartments. … Both of the city’s ambulances were busy on calls when Luzerne County 911 dispatched emergency crews Thursday at 10:09 a.m. and 44 seconds. Following a controversial new dispatch protocol implemented by the new city administration, Trans-Med Ambulance was called to the scene as the primary backup. City police were at the scene in a minute. A city fire engine, dispatched at the same time as Trans-Med, arrived at 10:13 a.m. and 25 seconds and firefighters made first contact with the victim, according to firefighter Dave Roberts, a spokesman for the union. … Trans-Med’s ambulance arrived at 10:17 a.m. and 18 seconds, nearly eight minutes after being dispatched, said Roberts, citing 911 dispatch logs available to emergency crews. Trans-Med had promised to have ambulances ready at two staging areas in the city — near the Penn Plaza on South Main Street and near Schiel’s Market on George Avenue, Roberts noted. …

Mayor Tony George is eyeing major changes to the city-run ambulance service and has asked two for-profit companies to submit proposals. Trans-Med Ambulance, recently named by George as the city’s primary backup service, submitted a plan to eliminate the city-run ambulance operation entirely and take over, according to an outline of the proposal obtained by The Citizens’ Voice. Commonwealth Health Emergency Medical Services, or CHEMS, submitted a proposal for ambulance services at the request of George, said spokeswoman Renita Fennick, who declined to offer any details about the plan. … News that George is looking to shake up the city-run operation follows weeks of controversy over his decision to end a mutual aid agreement with ambulance services in neighboring towns to make for-profit Trans-Med the primary backup. … In its proposal, Trans-Med offered to add a third ambulance to run in the city and make available more units when needed. It will consider leasing the current facilities housing Wilkes-Barre ambulances. … Trans-Med’s proposal assures “all City of Wilkes-Barre employees impacted by the future state of EMS response will be offered employment with Trans-Med.” The proposal, however, contradicts what Homer Berlew, president of Trans-Med, told city council members at Monday’s meeting when they passed a nonbinding resolution in favor of keeping the current mutual aid agreement.

If Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George is planning to replace the city’s ambulance provider with a for-profit alternative, he’s doing a terrible job with the rollout. George’s decision to contract privately owned Trans-Med Ambulance Inc. to handle calls when the city’s ambulances are busy — a role now filled by non-profit crews from three neighboring towns — was leaked before the mayor could properly present it to his constituents. And the mayor’s contention that the switch was designed to save fees for residents served by a secondary responder didn’t stand up to scrutiny, as reporting in The Citizens’ Voice revealed last week that most of those residents would see no change while some might pay more under George’s plan. … George has hinted that ending the city-provided service could improve Wilkes-Barre’s bottom line. But in 2015, the fees and reimbursements collected by the city for its ambulance service slightly exceeded the $1.62 million in budgeted expenses, according to the city’s fire chief. That was not true in previous years, when fees and reimbursements did not cover costs, but it shows the city can break even.

]]>38666Redondo Beach ends partnership with McCormick Ambulance, will set up in-house servicehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/07/redondo-beach-ends-partnership-with-mccormick-ambulance-will-set-up-in-house-service.htm
Tue, 05 Jul 2016 15:24:43 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38636Source: Kelcie Pegher, Daily Breeze, June 27, 2016 The city of Redondo Beach has decided to establish its own ambulance service, replacing McCormick Ambulance Service after a 10-year run at year’s end. The City Council recently approved Fire Chief Robert Metzger’s proposal after he reported that McCormick had upped its rates for basic life support […]

The city of Redondo Beach has decided to establish its own ambulance service, replacing McCormick Ambulance Service after a 10-year run at year’s end. The City Council recently approved Fire Chief Robert Metzger’s proposal after he reported that McCormick had upped its rates for basic life support and advanced life support by 21 and 18 percent, respectively. City officials soon will approach the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services seeking permission to start its own ambulance service, which would pay 30 part-time employees about $15 an hour. Start-up costs for creating a Redondo Beach ambulance service are hefty — $764,000, including buying vehicles and technology for the project. Metzger estimated that it will up to two years before the city would see a profit from the in-house service. But once it does, he expects that, on average, the city could bring in $400,000 a year in revenue for the next decade. The cost for the first year and recurring operating expenses would be about $1.3 million. …

Redondo Beach officials want to bring ambulance services in-house after years of contracting with a private company. With McCormick Ambulance’s 10-year contract with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services set to expire at the end of the year, Redondo Beach Fire Chief Robert Metzger got the green light from the City Council last week to put together a bid due May 4. Though McCormick has performed “acceptably,” Metzger said he believes turning transportation and basic life support services over to the Fire Department will benefit the beach community and bring in more revenue for city services. … If Redondo fire wins, the department would be responsible for some 3,400 transportation calls annually and could expect gross billings of $3.5 million, Metzger said. Billing services would be outsourced. Metzger believes revenues would cover staffing and operating costs. The city would have to spend about $555,000 on three ambulances and equipment.

]]>38636Contract cuts Shawnee County ambulance subsidy by more than $280,000 a yearhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/07/contract-cuts-shawnee-county-ambulance-subsidy-by-more-than-280000-a-year.htm
Tue, 05 Jul 2016 15:16:48 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38632Source: Tim Hrenchir, Topeka Capital-Journal, June 30, 2016 A contract Shawnee County Commissioners approved Thursday reduces the subsidy the county pays for ambulance service — which had already dropped considerably in recent years — by more than $280,000 annually. Commissioners Shelly Buhler, Bob Archer and Kevin Cook voted 3-0 to approve the agreement. It calls […]

A contract Shawnee County Commissioners approved Thursday reduces the subsidy the county pays for ambulance service — which had already dropped considerably in recent years — by more than $280,000 annually. Commissioners Shelly Buhler, Bob Archer and Kevin Cook voted 3-0 to approve the agreement. It calls for the county to pay subsidies totaling $350,000 annually to American Medical Response to provide ambulance services throughout the county from Jan. 1, 2017, through Dec. 31, 2021. … The county this year is subsidizing AMR to the tune of $632,798, and previously provided subsidies of $757,798 for 2015, $857,798 for 2014, $1,057,798 for 2013 and $1,055,727 for 2012. AMR and its predecessor, Medevac MidAmerica, have been the only ambulance service providers for Shawnee County since 1983. Commissioners last year directed the county’s Ambulance Advisory Board to seek bids from companies wishing to provide the county ambulance service. Bids were accepted and examined before that board recommended contracting with AMR. …

]]>38632Mid-County Ambulance District to exit contract with Mercy LifeStarhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/07/mid-county-ambulance-district-to-exit-contract-with-mercy-lifestar.htm
Tue, 05 Jul 2016 15:14:12 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38630Source: Marie Thomas Baird, Sentinel-Tribune, June 30, 2016 The Mid-County Ambulance District is separating from its contract with Mercy LifeStar Ambulance, but plans to continue providing emergency medical services. … The ambulance district, which serves Plain, Portage and Center townships plus the village of Portage, has been in business since 1992. But Mercy LifeStar wants […]

The Mid-County Ambulance District is separating from its contract with Mercy LifeStar Ambulance, but plans to continue providing emergency medical services. … The ambulance district, which serves Plain, Portage and Center townships plus the village of Portage, has been in business since 1992. But Mercy LifeStar wants to double its contract fees with the district, leading leaders to opt out and become an independent provider. … Bechstein pointed out that Grand Rapids Township left Mercy LifeStar last year after not receiving a new bid for service, “so we’re talking about going out on our own” too. He estimated the district has 40 runs each month, many on the interstate and Ohio routes that cut through its service area. … To renew the contract that expires Dec. 31, it would cost nearly double, he added. Their current contract with Mercy LifeStar is $198,654, according to Denise Foos. The district owns the building on County Home Road but Mercy LifeStar owns the vehicles and pays the salaries. The employees on staff with Mercy LifeStar want to work for the district, he said. …

]]>38630Report: Privatization of EMS services lower quality of carehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/06/report-privatization-of-ems-services-lower-quality-of-care.htm
Wed, 29 Jun 2016 14:48:01 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38555Source: EMS1, June 28, 2016 A recent investigative report published by the New York Times sheds light on the growing trend of private equity firms purchasing and investing in EMS and fire services, and the potentially negative repercussions that may follow. Numerous ambulance and fire agencies acquired by private equity firms, the Times reported, are […]

A recent investigative report published by the New York Times sheds light on the growing trend of private equity firms purchasing and investing in EMS and fire services, and the potentially negative repercussions that may follow. Numerous ambulance and fire agencies acquired by private equity firms, the Times reported, are aimed at making a profit from emergency calls while cutting costs and increasing prices. … Out of 12 ambulance companies recently owned by private equity firms, three filed for bankruptcy in the last three years. All three had had issues prior to being taken over by a private equity firm. One service, Rural/Metro, was taken into bankruptcy by an equity investor, while another helped it out. During that period, the Times found that Rural/Metro’s response time slowed in some towns while billing practices dramatically increased. TransCare EMS services, acquired by Patriarch Partners, went through bankruptcy after a slew of supplies shortages, equipment failures and sending patients increasingly expensive bills.

The business of driving ambulances and operating fire brigades represents just one facet of a profound shift on Wall Street and Main Street alike, a New York Times investigation has found. Since the 2008 financial crisis, private equity firms, the “corporate raiders” of an earlier era, have increasingly taken over a wide array of civic and financial services that are central to American life. Today, people interact with private equity when they dial 911, pay their mortgage, play a round of golf or turn on the kitchen tap for a glass of water. Private equity put a unique stamp on these businesses. Unlike other for-profit companies, which often have years of experience making a product or offering a service, private equity is primarily skilled in making money. And in many of these businesses, The Times found, private equity firms applied a sophisticated moneymaking playbook: a mix of cost cuts, price increases, lobbying and litigation. … For governments and their citizens, the effects have often been dire. Under private equity ownership, some ambulance response times worsened, heart monitors failed and companies slid into bankruptcy, according to a Times examination of thousands of pages of internal documents and government records, as well as interviews with dozens of former employees. In at least two cases, lawsuits contend, poor service led to patient deaths. …

… In many of the fields where private equity now operates, it has not necessarily performed better or worse than the banks and governments it replaced. In some cases it financed projects that others wouldn’t fund and provided crucial public services, including emergency care. And because these firms do not rely on the government for loans, and are much smaller than Wall Street banks, they pose far less risk to the broader economy. … But the Times investigation of emergency services shows that hasn’t always been the case. …

]]>38555Buffalo Forces Rural Metro to Improve Response Timeshttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/06/buffalo-forces-rural-metro-to-improve-response-times.htm
Wed, 22 Jun 2016 15:20:42 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38458Source: Luke Moretti and Rose Ciotta, Journal of Emergency Medical Services, June 21, 2016 Buffalo took steps Monday that could lead to fines against Rural Metro for slow ambulance response times. The city’s Emergency Medical Services Board voted unanimously to serve the company a “notice of inquiry.” The company will then have 30 days to […]

Buffalo took steps Monday that could lead to fines against Rural Metro for slow ambulance response times. The city’s Emergency Medical Services Board voted unanimously to serve the company a “notice of inquiry.” The company will then have 30 days to respond to complaints of poor response times and too few ambulances assigned to the city under its five year contract with Rural Metro. That contract also spells out required response times for three categories of calls. But as News 4 Investigates has reported in recent weeks, Rural Metro has failed to meet response times for the most serious calls going back to November when it signed a contract to exclusively handle emergency medical calls in the city. … Rural Metro has 30 days to respond to the city’s “notice of inquiry” which could result in fines against the ambulance company. Rural Metro was purchased by American Medical Response and is in the process of converting to that company. …

Buffalo’s Emergency Medical Services Board wants answers from the city’s ambulance provider about its failure to meet goals for response times when lives are on the line. The EMS Board voted Monday to issue a letter of inquiry to Rural/Metro Ambulance on why the contractually specified goals are not being met, Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell W. Whitfield Jr. said. … Whitfield said he believes that new ownership, integration of mechanical equipment and computer hardware have all contributed to the unacceptable delays. The contract requires Rural/Metro to meet minimum established goals for response times at least 90 percent of the time, and the company has fallen below that requirement, “particularly when it comes to advanced life support” arriving at emergencies, the commissioner said. …

Tom Maxian has been on the job less than two weeks and already he’s making big changes at Rural Metro. In his first public interview, Maxian says his company needs to put its exclusive contract with Buffalo first … Ambulance response times are longer than the company promised and there’s noise in city hall about fining the company. Maxian said one solution is to stop responding to non-emergency transports in towns where Rural Metro does not have a contract. … News 4 investigates recently revealed that Rural Metro was failing to meet response times under its five year contract with Buffalo. The most recent response times for May presented Thursday to the city’s Emergency Medical Board show that Rural Metro continues to meet the its contract with the city for basic life support but not for the more serious calls. In May 96 percent of basic life support calls were responded to within the required time mark of less than 15 minutes. Advanced life support came in at 81.9 percent at less than 10 minutes. The contract requires 90 percent. …

Rural Metro says change is coming, after a burn victim had to wait nearly 20 minutes for an ambulance to take him to the hospital. But will that incident, a fire Tuesday afternoon on Kail Street, and a new administration, be enough to sway the private ambulance company to action? During peak times, when emergency call volume is at its greatest, there are between 10 and 20 Rural Metro ambulances on the streets of the city of Buffalo. That’s a number defined by the contract between the city and Rural Metro, and it changes depending on the month and season. … The other big issue with this is knowing where ambulances in the city are located at all times. That’s information that Rural Metro has refused to share with first responders, but that may change, too, when the company’s fleet is updated with GPS tracking devices, Addario said. That, and how often ambulances are dispatched with fire crews, will be topics of a discussion scheduled for Monday among Rural Metro’s new administration, city officials and members of its ambulance board.

Just a day after a man suffered first and second degree burns in a house fire, two Buffalo Common Council Members are calling on Rural/Metro to step up its first response service. On Tuesday, Buffalo Fire responded to a house fire on Kail Street in Buffalo’s Black Rock neighborhood. According to neighbors, a fireman had to flag-down an ambulance that happened to be driving by, because an ambulance from Rural/Metro had not yet arrived at the scene. … Rural/Metro disputes that there was a problem. The company’s Vice President of Operations, Mike Addario, provided this statement to 7 Eyewitness News:

During the Kail Street fire, the emergency response mutual aid system was tested in Buffalo, and it worked. Yesterday, during a spike in emergency calls, we needed backup help from our partner Twin City Ambulance, and today in Tonawanda we were able to provide mutual aid in their service area.

… Regardless, Golombek and Scanlon say they want the Kail Street incident investigated by both Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and the Buffalo Emergency Medical Services Board. They’re asking that Rural/Metro be fined if the investigation proves the company had an unacceptable response time.

American Medical Response has named a new leader for its Western New York operations. Tom Maxian will serve as regional director for the Buffalo company, which took over the former Rural/Metro following a $620 million acquisition last year by parent company Envision Healthcare Holdings Inc. … He’ll be responsible for overseeing operations at the William L. Gaiter Parkway facility, including a workforce of 400 field staff and dispatch employees, as well as pursuing new opportunities in the region. Maxian takes over for Jay Smith, who left the company just weeks ago after three years in the position. …

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown says he is “absolutely concerned” about ambulance response times in the city. Reacting to a News 4 report on lapses in response times regarding some of the most serious calls involving the city’s exclusive ambulance provider, Rural Metro, Brown called it a “critically important issue.” … Rural Metro has a five-year contract with the city that includes penalty payments that range from $750 up to $25,000 depending on circumstances and the frequency of non-compliance. Non-compliance for a month carries a $1,500 fine. A full quarter of non-compliance can result in a $7,500 fine; four quarters could result in a $10,000 fine with 30 days to correct. Failure to correct after 30 days, could mean a $25,000 fine. … For Advanced Life Support Non-Life Threatening, Rural Metro was in compliance 82.88 percent. The contract requires that at least 90 percent of its calls are responded to in nine minutes, 59 seconds or less. For Advanced Life Support Life Threatening, the ambulance company had a compliance rate of 80.28 percent. The contract requires that at least 90 percent of the calls are responded to in eight minutes, 59 seconds. The county reports show that Rural Metro did meet the contract for the least serious calls known as Basic Life Support Emergent on average, in just over 91 percent of the calls. The monthly response times varied from a low of 89.4 percent in February to a high of 93.9 percent in March. …continue reading

]]>38458Private ambulance company plans hiring spreehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/06/private-ambulance-company-plans-hiring-spree.htm
Mon, 20 Jun 2016 15:52:57 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38405Source: Kaitlin Schroeder, Dayton Business Journal, June 14, 2016 A private ambulance company is planning a hiring blitz and opening a new location in Dayton. Buckeye Ambulance is moving from Centerville to Dayton, which will mean three times more space and major hiring in the near future, according to a press release from the Dayton […]

A private ambulance company is planning a hiring blitz and opening a new location in Dayton. Buckeye Ambulance is moving from Centerville to Dayton, which will mean three times more space and major hiring in the near future, according to a press release from the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. … Buckeye Ambulance started in 2012 with the purchase of two ambulances and has since grown to nearly 50 vehicles, including a mix of ambulance, wheelchair vans and supporting command vehicles. It specializes in inner hospital transports and getting clients to and from doctor office visits and specialty appointments. Along with the new facility, Buckeye plans to hire 100 to 150 people to add to its current local workforce of 100. Buckeye will hold onsite interviews for EMT’s, advanced paramedics and ambulette drivers. …

]]>38405White Plains approves three-year ambulance dealhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/06/white-plains-approves-three-year-ambulance-deal.htm
Tue, 14 Jun 2016 17:13:26 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38240Source: Richard Liebson, LoHud.com, June 8, 2016 Three months after the TransCare ambulance company abruptly went bankrupt, the White Plains Common Council has approved a three-year contract with Yonkers-based Empress Ambulance Services to handle emergency medical response in the city. Empress has been providing ambulance service in White Plains under an emergency agreement since Feb. […]

Three months after the TransCare ambulance company abruptly went bankrupt, the White Plains Common Council has approved a three-year contract with Yonkers-based Empress Ambulance Services to handle emergency medical response in the city. Empress has been providing ambulance service in White Plains under an emergency agreement since Feb. 21, when TransCare shut down. The closure also left Mount Vernon and New Rochelle without ambulances; both cities also hired Empress on a 90-day, emergency basis. … The new White Plains deal runs retroactively from May 1 through April 30, 2019, and gives the city an option for two additional one year agreements. Empress will receive $489,000 for the first year of the contract, with annual increases of 3.5 percent, making the agreement worth $523,860 in the final year. … New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson said Tuesday that his city continues to be served by Empress through an emergency contract and that a permanent agreement with the company could be finalized as early as next week. Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas could not be reached for an update on ambulance service there. When TransCare folded in March, Thomas said the city would look into the possibility of having the fire department take over ambulance duties.

As Sun City Fire and Medical Department officials gear up for ambulance service, they are dealing with squelching inaccurate impressions from residents. Department staff fielded more than 20 calls in late-May from residents concerned bout losing services because they believed their contracts with American Medical Response were ending. Ambulance service, once it begins under the Sun City Fire District, will remain much the same, aside from being more efficient, according to Mike Thompson, Sun City fire chief. … The chief said Sun City would honor any AMR contracts once they begin service, and would honor any contracts that are not renewed at the time of service. …

The private ambulance carrier serving Sun City has dropped its opposition to the Sun City Fire and Medical Department running its own service, removing a key hurdle to the latter’s providing emergency ambulances as early as this year. … Thompson said the decision leaves the SCFMD’s application for a ground ambulance Certificate of Necessity with no outside opposition. It also sends the application to Arizona Department of Health Services Director Dr. Cara Christ. … AMR’s decision marks an about face from June 2015, when the company’s predecessor, Rural Metro, sought to block Sun City Fire and Medical’s application.

After Katie Moraida gave birth to son Sawyer in a hospital parking lot, she received two separate bills exceeding $3,500 for an ambulance ride to the hospital door. When Ms. Moraida’s water broke a week early, her husband rushed her to Sutter Roseville (Calif.) Hospital. She delivered the baby in the hospital parking lot. … The Moraidas received two separate bills, one for Ms. Moraida and one for her son. Insurance covered Ms. Moraida’s portion of the bill, but not the baby’s, due to the way ambulance operator AMR coded the visit. … Consumer advocate Amy Bach with the United Policyholders said coding is a common issue with insurance, forcing families like the Moraidas to pay more than expected. Ms. Bach is pushing for a federal law that would give families six months to resolve coding issues with insurers before being sent to collections. …

]]>38171105 ambulance workers in Snohomish County laid offhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/06/105-ambulance-workers-in-snohomish-county-laid-off.htm
Mon, 06 Jun 2016 15:01:34 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38103Source: Gabe Cohen, KOMO News, June 2, 2016 American Medical Response said Thursday that the layoffs are part of its acquisition of Rural/Metro Corporation, an emergency medical services company based in Everett. AMR acquired Rural/Metro last year. Last month the company sent letters to 80 full-time and 25 part-time Rural/Metro workers, including emergency medical technicians, […]

American Medical Response said Thursday that the layoffs are part of its acquisition of Rural/Metro Corporation, an emergency medical services company based in Everett. AMR acquired Rural/Metro last year. Last month the company sent letters to 80 full-time and 25 part-time Rural/Metro workers, including emergency medical technicians, dispatchers and clerical staff, informing them of the impending layoff effective July 31. … AMR met with many of those “impacted employees” at Rural/Metro’s headquarters Thursday, when it told them about 36 current AMR job openings in Western Washington. Laid-off workers can also pursue AMR jobs elsewhere in the US. AMR confirms that those employees would have to reapply for any job openings just as any member of the public would. The company couldn’t say if any jobs will be reserved for Rural/Metro workers. …

]]>38103Ambulance companies to fill gap left by largest providerhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/06/ambulance-companies-to-fill-gap-left-by-largest-provider.htm
Mon, 06 Jun 2016 14:51:06 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=38095Source: Reggie Ellis, The Foothills Sun-Gazette, June 1, 2016 Tulare County may be losing its largest ambulance provider, but local emergency medical officials say residents won’t see the difference. On May 19, American Medical Response (AMR), part of the nation’s largest ambulance service, announced that it would be shutting down its Tulare County operations by […]

Tulare County may be losing its largest ambulance provider, but local emergency medical officials say residents won’t see the difference. On May 19, American Medical Response (AMR), part of the nation’s largest ambulance service, announced that it would be shutting down its Tulare County operations by Aug. 31, 2016. AMR, which began operating in Tulare County in 1981, stated in a Feb. 24 letter that it was considering closing its local operations unless it could negotiate wage concessions with its union and obtain a consensus from the other ambulance providers on a rate increase. In her May 19 letter addressed to the Central California Emergency Medical Services Agency (CCEMSA), which oversees ambulance service in Tulare, Kings, Madera and Fresno Counties, AMR’s Regional Director Cindy Woolston said the company was unable to do either. … While that seems like a huge void to fill, there are still seven other ambulance providers covering calls in the County – including Dinuba Fire and Ambulance, LifeStar Ambulance in Tulare, Imperial Ambulance in Porterville, Exeter District Ambulance, California Hot Springs Ambulance, Camp Nelson Ambulance and American Ambulance of Visalia. Lynch said AMR is the only ambulance company with offices in two cities (Visalia and Porterville) but other companies will only have to absorb about 30 calls per day Visalia and 7 calls per day in Porterville. …

Residents in Tulare County are preparing themselves for life without AMR ambulance service. AMR and their employees have served the Tulare County area for more than 30 years, but Thursday company leaders made their plans to leave the county public. AMR ambulances will continue to transport Tulare County patients until the end of August, but at that point AMR’s services will leave Tulare County. It’s a financial decision that leaves dozens without jobs and residents wondering what this means for them. … AMR leaders say Four other ambulance companies will now begin the transition take on the work left behind. AMR had 15,000 service calls last year.

]]>38095Cash-strapped NHS trust blows £2MILLION on private ambulances in seven months, figures revealhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/05/cash-strapped-nhs-trust-blows-2million-on-private-ambulances-in-seven-months-figures-reveal.htm
Mon, 16 May 2016 17:49:30 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37945Source: Stephen Hayward, The Mirror, May 7, 2016 A cash-strapped NHS trust that handed luxury cars out to top staff has drawn fresh flak for spending more than £10,000 a day on ­private ambulances. East of England Ambulance Service is so short-handed it has to use non-NHS vehicles and staff to answer 999 calls. Figures […]

A cash-strapped NHS trust that handed luxury cars out to top staff has drawn fresh flak for spending more than £10,000 a day on ­private ambulances. East of England Ambulance Service is so short-handed it has to use non-NHS vehicles and staff to answer 999 calls. Figures obtained by the Sunday People under Freedom of Information laws reveal that the trust spent £2.076million on private ambulances between July last year and January. The monthly bill for the services shot up more than 400% in the period, from £98,840 to £517,071. … The county with the biggest bill for private ambulances, at £945,000, is Essex – where one of East of England Ambulance Service’s ­current directors used to run a private ambulance company that provided vehicles to the trust. … As the use of private ambulances now ­increases across the UK, the trend is ­fuelling accusations of creeping ­privatisation of the NHS.­ The College of Emergency Medicine argues that their routine use is “incredibly wasteful and potentially dangerous”. It adds that there is too little oversight of the private firms providing the service. Patients’ groups have also voiced ­concerns over the trend, fearing that some companies do not train staff adequately while others have poor records for ­hygiene and safety. … The Sunday People revealed last week that East of England ambulance service leased 81 private cars at £454,636. They included Land Rover Discoveries and a Toyota Land Cruiser. Today figures ­obtained using the Freedom of Information Act show other trusts splashed out too. South Central ambulance trust spent £484,675 and one car was an Alfa Romeo Giulietta. …

]]>37945Prompt Ambulance response time eyed in Griffith crashhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/05/prompt-ambulance-response-time-eyed-in-griffith-crash.htm
Mon, 16 May 2016 17:42:06 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37943Source: Sarah Reese, NWI Times, May 13, 2016 Griffith Police Chief Greg Mance said Wednesday he’s requested a meeting with Prompt Ambulance officials to find out why it took an ambulance about 10 minutes to arrive at the scene of a serious crash earlier this week. … The Lake County Sheriff’s Department assisted with the […]

Griffith Police Chief Greg Mance said Wednesday he’s requested a meeting with Prompt Ambulance officials to find out why it took an ambulance about 10 minutes to arrive at the scene of a serious crash earlier this week. … The Lake County Sheriff’s Department assisted with the crash investigation, but a complete report had not yet been completed Wednesday, spokesman Mark Back said. Mance said the ambulance company appears to be responsible for the delay, not Lake County’s E-911 dispatch center. … Brian Hitchcock, county E-911 director, said Wednesday the call for the crash in the 500 block of East 45th Avenue was received at 3:48:37 p.m. by a call center dispatcher. The dispatcher called Prompt at 3:49:52 p.m. Prompt reported back to E-911 at 3:52 p.m. that it had an ambulance en route from Highland and again at 3:53 p.m. that two ambulances were en route from both Highland and Munster. Hitchcock said Prompt reported to E-911 that its first ambulance arrived at the crash scene at 3:59 p.m. … Griffith contracts solely with Prompt for ambulance service. The town could have requested mutual aid from ambulance crews in neighboring communities, but Prompt didn’t give Griffith officers an exact time of arrival or any alternatives during communications via the dispatch center, he said. … The town has had a long relationship with Prompt Ambulance, and average response times have ranged from 3 to 4 minutes, he said. …

]]>37943Prompt Ambulance employees vote to unionizehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/05/prompt-ambulance-employees-vote-to-unionize.htm
Mon, 16 May 2016 17:39:07 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37941Source: Giles Bruce, NWI Times, May 13, 2016 Employees of Prompt Ambulance Service voted this week 140-32 in favor of unionizing. The bargaining unit, which joins the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics, will include 220 ambulance drivers, paramedics and emergency medical technicians. Prompt, based in Highland, is the Region’s largest private ambulance provider. … […]

Employees of Prompt Ambulance Service voted this week 140-32 in favor of unionizing. The bargaining unit, which joins the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics, will include 220 ambulance drivers, paramedics and emergency medical technicians. Prompt, based in Highland, is the Region’s largest private ambulance provider. … Murchek said union membership has been on the rise in Indiana, in what he called a backlash to the governor and Legislature’s anti-labor push. Prompt CEO Gary Miller said he doesn’t foresee any major changes taking place at Prompt as a result of the vote, particularly because the other IAEP contracts he’s seen are in line with what the company already offers. … IAEP recently filed three complaints of unfair labor practices against Prompt for alleged anti-union tactics. In addition, Prompt is currently in private mediation with three former employees who sued it last year over unpaid overtime pay.

]]>37941El Cajon, ambulance company make dealhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/05/el-cajon-ambulance-company-make-deal.htm
Mon, 09 May 2016 16:19:05 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37810Source: Karen Pearlman, San Diego Union-Tribune, May 4, 2016 El Cajon is contracting out more of its paramedic services with a private company. The City Council unanimously agreed last week to an expanded deal for five years with American Medical Response Ambulance Service Inc. for transporting patients to hospitals. As part of the contract, AMR […]

El Cajon is contracting out more of its paramedic services with a private company. The City Council unanimously agreed last week to an expanded deal for five years with American Medical Response Ambulance Service Inc. for transporting patients to hospitals. As part of the contract, AMR will pay the city nearly $1.5 million over five years. The city also anticipates overall savings based on a decrease in personnel costs, capital costs, such as fuel, and for vehicle upkeep. … AMR will pay the city $232,265 the first year, $245,992 in year two, $263,100 in year three, $289,464 in year four, $312,818 in year five. … AMR will be responsible for collecting the fees from people it transports. El Cajon will gradually be able to reduce the overall number of firefighter positions once AMR is fully staffing medical transport services, he said. No firefighter/paramedic will lose his job, Williford said, as positions will only be lost through attrition.

El Cajon is contracting out some of its paramedic services on an interim basis with a private company. The City Council on Tuesday agreed to a deal with American Medical Response Ambulance Service, Inc. for advance life support services. AMR will equip and staff one ambulance to replace one city paramedic ambulance that is now staffed by city personnel working overtime. The city is also leaving open for negotiation a longer-term agreement with AMR. For now, the contract between AMR and the city will be month-to-month. …

]]>37810Falck eyes job rewards program as it grows in Aurorahttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/04/falck-eyes-job-rewards-program-as-it-grows-in-aurora.htm
Fri, 29 Apr 2016 15:49:10 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37672Source: Rachel Sapin, Aurora Sentinel, April 27, 2016 Nearly a year after the Dutch-based Falck Corporation of America won a contract to replace longtime ambulance provider Rural/Metro, Aurora’s new private ambulance transportation services company is looking to expand with the help of a city-funded job rewards program. If accepted, Falck’s Rocky Mountain branch would receive […]

Nearly a year after the Dutch-based Falck Corporation of America won a contract to replace longtime ambulance provider Rural/Metro, Aurora’s new private ambulance transportation services company is looking to expand with the help of a city-funded job rewards program. If accepted, Falck’s Rocky Mountain branch would receive up to $5,000 per job it creates per year, with that money coming from city use tax, city property tax and occupational privilege taxes. It would also be the first city contractor to qualify for the program, according to city officials. … Falck competed with American Medical Response of Colorado, Inc., and Rural/Metro for the city’s ambulance service provider contract last year in a process that evaluated the companies based on their monetary reimbursement package, scope of work, credentials, clinical standards and financial position. Falck received the most points in every category and also promised the largest reimbursement to the city for providing dispatch services and 911 ride-in fees at nearly $1.7 million, according to city documents. …

Members of the Fire Department’s Emergency Medical Services staff crowded the selectmen’s meeting room to oppose a plan to investigate privatizing the town’s medical response services through an outside company. Selectmen agreed by a 2-1 vote to indefinitely table action on such a plan after Fire Chief Scott Weigel argued that privatizing the town’s emergency medical services would be costly to the town and might lack the quality of service the department currently provides. … He said since the town agreed to switching to ADL services, there has been a deficit between the expenses it has incurred and the revenues it has recovered. The town pays salaries and for equipment, expenses that should covered through insurance collections and other billing. However, he said, the town’s net cost for EMS services in FY 2014 was $95,000; while in FY 2015 its pricetag was $201,000. Several weeks ago, he proposed investigating the cost of privatizing, sparked by information from Town Administrator Michael McCue that the town of Wenham uses a private ambulance service that in part recovers all insurance reimbursements on its own.

]]>37661Rochester Selectmen debate merits of in-house ambulance servicehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/04/rochester-selectmen-debate-merits-of-in-house-ambulance-service.htm
Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:06:27 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37572Source: Georgia Sparling, Sippican Week, April 19, 2016 Selectman Rich Nunes is concerned that the town’s ambulance service is too expensive, and on Tuesday night he suggested looking into a private service. Nunes cited net costs to the town as about $200,000 for fiscal year 2015 compared to about half of that in fiscal year […]

Selectman Rich Nunes is concerned that the town’s ambulance service is too expensive, and on Tuesday night he suggested looking into a private service. Nunes cited net costs to the town as about $200,000 for fiscal year 2015 compared to about half of that in fiscal year 2014. He has already sent a letter to STAT Dartmouth, a private ambulance company, that said it is looking to expand its services. … He also questioned the number of people who respond to an incident, saying three or four people shouldn’t respond to every accident. Selectmen Brad Morse, however, said Nunes was reading the financial numbers incorrectly and that it was inappropriate to have the conversation without Fire and EMS Chief Scott Weigel present. Morse, who has worked as an on-call firefighter, said he has seen towns switch from in-house to privatized ambulance services with negative results. …

]]>37572Concerns voiced about possible ambulance mergerhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/04/concerns-voiced-about-possible-ambulance-merger.htm
Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:04:37 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37570Source: Amy Hudak, WHAM, April 21, 2016 Emergency professionals said the merger is the best option for each community. Chief Bill Arnold of Chili EMS told 13WHAM, “It would make an outstanding service, to get the closest ambulance to the patient as soon as possible.” The ambulance companies said taxpayer dollars won’t change, but those […]

Emergency professionals said the merger is the best option for each community. Chief Bill Arnold of Chili EMS told 13WHAM, “It would make an outstanding service, to get the closest ambulance to the patient as soon as possible.” The ambulance companies said taxpayer dollars won’t change, but those who live in the three towns are skeptical. An informational meeting on the proposed merger was held Thursday night, during which some taxpayers said they are not being told how much more they might be paying if they have an emergency. … Ambulance companies said they are not sure if and by how much rates will change when a 911 call is made. Chili’s town supervisor reassuring his town he will only sign the best contract for the people. … Under this proposal, all emergency professionals would have the same training out of Henrietta, and nobody would be able to work more than 16 hours per day. If passed, the proposal would go into effect in 2017.

All across the country, emergency medical services, especially those with volunteers, are thinking of merging or have merged. Ambulance services in Henrietta, Chili, and Scottsville now say they are jumping on board with that idea. … Allen said none of the three agencies are in financial distress and each are operated well, but by coming together as one, he said it will improve response times, boost buying power of supplies, improve their ability to attract volunteers, reduce overhead costs, and help with community outreach. While they say staffing will stay the same, they may be able to reduce the number of ambulances needed. … The agencies said they will also be able to better strategically place their vehicles based on areas of need and unlike before, when they would have to call commercial ambulances in for help, they will be able to cover for each other if needed instead.

]]>37570Greater New Haven paramedics, EMTs rally over contract, claims over working conditionshttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/04/greater-new-haven-paramedics-emts-rally-over-contract-claims-over-working-conditions.htm
Fri, 22 Apr 2016 15:02:01 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37568Source: Ryan Flynn, New Haven Register, April 19, 2016 New Haven-based American Medical Response employees rallied on the Green Tuesday afternoon in the hopes that AMR will address safety concerns that first responders say affect them and the patients they serve. … IAEP union, Local 999, held the rally and listed the following claims: potentially […]

New Haven-based American Medical Response employees rallied on the Green Tuesday afternoon in the hopes that AMR will address safety concerns that first responders say affect them and the patients they serve. … IAEP union, Local 999, held the rally and listed the following claims: potentially hazardous working conditions at AMR stations; staffing issues that lead to paramedics and EMTs working extra-long shifts without warning; and complaints of an operations manager who is now often out of state, after his job was expanded to a regional role. … AMR Regional Director Chuck Babson said in a statement that the rally is taking place in the context of a union contract negotiation. Babson wrote that twice in recent months, AMR and union officials have agreed on “generous” pay and benefit packages but were rejected by union members. They will continue to negotiate in the hopes of reaching an agreement soon, he wrote. … Michael Montanaro, president of Local 999 and 21-year veteran, said contract negotiations with AMR have hit a stalemate and the longer hours have “overwhelmed” local first responders. AMR first responders handle a high call volume, he said, responding to between 85,000 and 100,000 calls each year.

The cash-strapped White Lake Ambulance Authority unanimously voted to start shopping for outside providers of ambulance service at a special meeting Monday, April 18. The authority collects a 1-mill property tax and provides ambulance services to about 12,000 people in northwest Muskegon County. The ambulance authority now has its own ambulances and staff, but for more than a year has struggled to operate in the black while paying down substantial debts it accumulated over a longer period of time. … Whalen said Whitehall was talking to Life EMS of Grand Rapids about providing service, and he invited representatives of the other municipalities to join negotiations. …

]]>37566EDITORIAL: Ambulance saga still has some lifehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/04/editorial-ambulance-saga-still-has-some-life.htm
Tue, 19 Apr 2016 15:55:01 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37490Source: Press-Enterprise, April 8, 2016 Riverside’s ambulance saga continues. On Tuesday, the Riverside City Council voted to suspend franchise agreements allowing Cavalry Ambulance and AmeriCare Ambulance to operate in the city. In doing so, the council majority rejected an opportunity to be reasonable. For decades, Riverside residents in need of nonemergency ambulance transport were limited […]

Riverside’s ambulance saga continues. On Tuesday, the Riverside City Council voted to suspend franchise agreements allowing Cavalry Ambulance and AmeriCare Ambulance to operate in the city. In doing so, the council majority rejected an opportunity to be reasonable. For decades, Riverside residents in need of nonemergency ambulance transport were limited to one provider, American Medical Response. This monopolization never made any sense, and not only limited the choices available to health providers, but kept prices needlessly high. So it was certainly welcome when the city joined the rest of the county last year as the council realized that competition was actually a good thing. …

Riverside has temporarily barred two ambulance companies from picking up patients in the city after they failed to meet its requirements. The City Council voted Tuesday, April 5, to suspend franchise agreements with Cavalry Ambulance and AmeriCare Ambulance. The companies are among a half dozen the city had allowed run prescheduled, nonemergency calls in Riverside. American Medical Response, or AMR, handles 911 calls through a contract with the county. … Cavalry failed to meet a deadline this month for accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services, an independent industry group, city officials said. AmeriCare, which received a city franchise in 2015 but had not begun running calls, had its operating permit from Riverside County suspended. The city requires ambulance companies to have a valid county permit.

]]>37490Bankruptcy of TransCare Strains New York’s Emergency Serviceshttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/04/bankruptcy-of-transcare-strains-new-yorks-emergency-services.htm
Tue, 19 Apr 2016 15:43:13 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37484Source: Jim Dwyer, New York Times, April 14, 2016 For now, the city has patched the problem, though the medics are starting to become frayed from the extra hours or the trips to boroughs outside their regular assignments, and warm weather, the busiest time of the year for medical emergencies, is coming up. Mr. Miranda’s […]

For now, the city has patched the problem, though the medics are starting to become frayed from the extra hours or the trips to boroughs outside their regular assignments, and warm weather, the busiest time of the year for medical emergencies, is coming up. Mr. Miranda’s union — with support from, among others, Elizabeth Crowley, the chairwoman of the City Council’s fire and criminal justice committee, and the city comptroller, Scott M. Stringer — is arguing that the use of private ambulances is a false economy, and that the city should hire enough of its own workers. … It also raises the kinds of questions that elected officials prefer to duck: There are fewer and fewer fires, and more and more medical emergencies, but there are twice as many firefighters as there are emergency medical workers. The two services were merged in March 1996, but there was only piecemeal integration. Firefighters now respond to many medical calls, and get there quicker than ambulances. For the most part, though, they do not have advanced training and cannot transport patients. It costs, on average, nearly four times as much to send a fire engine to a medical call as an ambulance, according to a report by the Citizens Budget Commission. …

EMTs and paramedics who lost their jobs when private ambulance company Transcare went bankrupt in February also lost their final paychecks — because they bounced, according to court papers filed in the Bronx Friday. … Pena said Transcare’s management knew full well it was going to have to shut down — but didn’t tell workers the situation was dire. He said the company had a conference call around Feb. 20 and told employees things looked bad. …

The city is looking at reducing its reliance on private ambulances after the abrupt shutdown of one of the largest companies left the FDNY in the lurch, Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. Transcare, a private contractor, went bankrupt last month — taking 81 ambulance tours off the street. … Asked if the city should scrap the use of private operators altogether, Nigro said, “those exact discussions are right now going on between our department and City Hall as to moving forward how do we avoid this situation.” …

The company responsible for providing many Hudson Valley communities with ambulance service is having a hard time paying its employees. After what Chief Executive Officer Glenn Leland called a sudden change in bank policy late last week, TransCare, which has contracts with White Plains, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle and Putnam County, was unable to pay their employees as scheduled. In a letter to employees dated July 6, Leland said his Brooklyn-based company was experiencing a “short-term payroll crisis.” “You will be paid every penny you are owed for all your work for TransCare, past, present and future,” the letter read. “The question is not if you will be paid, but instead when you will be paid.” Tuesday afternoon Leland told The Journal News that in lieu of keeping a traditional bank account, due to inconsistent cash flow, the company takes out loans to pay expenses, then pays them down when payments from customers, insurance companies and patients are received.

]]>37484Canyon County settles lawsuit, OKs private ambulance companyhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/04/canyon-county-settles-lawsuit-oks-private-ambulance-company.htm
Fri, 08 Apr 2016 16:32:01 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37421Source: KIVI, April 2, 2016 A private, Boise-based ambulance company will be allowed to transport patients in Canyon County in non-emergency situations under terms settling a federal lawsuit. The Idaho Press-Tribune reports that the county had previously denied permission for Injury Care Emergency Medical Services to operate over legal concerns. The company sued in 2015. Canyon […]

A private, Boise-based ambulance company will be allowed to transport patients in Canyon County in non-emergency situations under terms settling a federal lawsuit. The Idaho Press-Tribune reports that the county had previously denied permission for Injury Care Emergency Medical Services to operate over legal concerns. The company sued in 2015. Canyon County commissioners said the deal was reached among the county, the company, and the publicly funded Canyon County Ambulance District. It allows the ambulance company to transport patients between medical facilities, such as when patients need to be referred for additional tests.

]]>37421Cleveland approves private ambulance companies for RNChttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/04/cleveland-approves-private-ambulance-companies-for-rnc.htm
Fri, 01 Apr 2016 14:39:57 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37332Source: EMS1, March 24, 2016 The city of Cleveland has approved contracts for two private ambulance companies to help provide EMS services during the Republican National Convention this summer. Fox8.com reported the companies will transport patients from the convention to the hospital, leaving city ambulances free to respond to calls. The city has promised not […]

The city of Cleveland has approved contracts for two private ambulance companies to help provide EMS services during the Republican National Convention this summer. Fox8.com reported the companies will transport patients from the convention to the hospital, leaving city ambulances free to respond to calls. The city has promised not to pull any Cleveland paramedics to cover calls from the RNC.

]]>37332North Riverside firefighters win a round in privatization fighthttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/03/north-riverside-firefighters-win-a-round-in-privatization-fight.htm
Thu, 31 Mar 2016 17:46:22 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37314Source: Andy Grim, Chicago Sun-Times, March 30, 2016 An attempt to privatize the fire department in the tiny suburb of North Riverside was dealt a setback when an administrative judge ruled the village could not cancel its contract with union firefighters. Facing a payout of $1.8 million for police and firefighter pensions last year, village […]

An attempt to privatize the fire department in the tiny suburb of North Riverside was dealt a setback when an administrative judge ruled the village could not cancel its contract with union firefighters. Facing a payout of $1.8 million for police and firefighter pensions last year, village officials cut off contract negotiations with the union and planned to enter a deal for fire protection with a private company. The move touched off lawsuits and labor grievances, with union leaders notching a key victory last week in proceedings with the state Labor Relations Board. … The village had sought to cancel the contract without going through arbitration or other steps required by state law, a move other cash-strapped towns might attempt as budget-breaking pension payments come due, Berry said. … The village expected to save about $700,000 by breaking the contract with the firefighters and hiring Paramedic Services of Illinois to provide fire protection. PSI had agreed to hire all the North Riverside firefighters at their previous wage, but the village would have saved money when the firefighters’ pensions were closed out and replaced with a 401(k) plan.

…. Officials say $1.8 million is due to rising police and fire pension costs. It’s a common scenario in Illinois. Most public officials think they have no choice but to raise taxes or cut government services — which often means putting firefighters and police out of a job. North Riverside has proposed a third option: Privatize the fire department. No firefighters would lose their jobs. Instead, the public safety company already providing North Riverside’s paramedic services would become their employer. Firefighters would be paid the same salary and receive comparable health insurance benefits….

Facing a 2016 deadline to fund pensions at state-required levels or have the money garnished, one west suburb is considering privatizing its fire department. The Village of North Riverside is publicizing the privatization proposal in advance of a June 26 hearing with the Illinois Department of Insurance, Mayor Hubert Hermanek Jr. said Wednesday. The department summoned the village to explain how the village plans to pay a $1.8 million public pension obligation by a 2016 deadline, Hermanek said….

]]>37314Leveraging the Private Sector in Emergency Management: Thar Be Dragons!http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/03/leveraging-the-private-sector-in-emergency-management-thar-be-dragons.htm
Thu, 24 Mar 2016 17:46:07 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37249Source: Alessandra Jerolleman and John J. Kiefer, PA Times, Fall 2015, Vol. 1 no. 3 (Subscription Required) The private sector role in emergency management is evolving. The federal government emphasizes the value of public–private partnerships in local emergency management, but the best use of private sector contractors has not been examined in detail. The characteristics […]

The private sector role in emergency management is evolving. The federal government emphasizes the value of public–private partnerships in local emergency management, but the best use of private sector contractors has not been examined in detail. The characteristics heavily influence the outcomes and can be quite complex. Take the wide ranging involvement of private sector entities, from individual consultants to national and global firms working at the state and federal levels. Then there are the small- to medium-sized firms that become active in the industry through the natural course of business expansion. Able to develop a professional reputation locally, these firms often have an engineering, planning, response or GIS focus, plus disaster response/recovery specialization. Just as the range of private firms is complex, interactions among private sector entities and levels of government are varied. Consider all of the scenarios: small firms working one-on-one with a local government; large firms under contract with the federal government to administer grants at the state level; and large firms contracted to coordinate Public Assistance efforts, a federal program that provides funds for repairing damaged public facilities at the local level. Large national firms are far more likely to be involved with federal mitigation efforts and less likely to pursue smaller contracts available for local planning in small jurisdictions. The implications for emergency managers are significant, requiring an understanding that privatized emergency services are not a panacea for deficiencies in mitigation, preparedness, response or recovery. …

]]>37249City spends $1.2M for new ambulance servicehttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/03/city-spends-1-2m-for-new-ambulance-service.htm
Thu, 24 Mar 2016 17:16:30 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37243Source: Cecilia Chan, Peoria Independent, March 18, 2016 Peoria expects to have its own ambulances hit the streets by late fall. The City Council last week unanimously approved allocating $1.2 million from its general fund reserves in this year’s budget to buy three ambulances and hire 14 firefighters, a billing assistant and a EMS captain […]

Peoria expects to have its own ambulances hit the streets by late fall. The City Council last week unanimously approved allocating $1.2 million from its general fund reserves in this year’s budget to buy three ambulances and hire 14 firefighters, a billing assistant and a EMS captain devoted to implementing the city’s ambulance service. On-going operational cost is pegged at $2 million. The city’s ability to provide “the very best medical” services to its residents is to take control back from private ambulance providers, City Manager Carl Swenson said. … Peoria’s ambulance service will be phased in over a five-year period. Currently the city has a contract with PMT, to provide a total of four full-time and two peak-time ambulances available to serve Peoria residents. In the first phase of operation, the city will operate two full-time ambulances, each staffed with an EMT and a paramedic, and have one non-staffed backup ambulance, according to EMS Chief James Bratcher. The city will continue to partner with a private company to provide ambulance services until it acquires five staff ambulances and two reserve vehicles, Mr. Bratcher said.

The city continued its goal of operating its own ambulances after council members approved a budget amendment of about $1.2 million, ensuring the service will be on track to operate in the fall. … City Council unanimously passed the budget amendment March 15. Doing so enables Peoria to initially acquire two full-time ambulances and one for backup. This is a vital step towards having the city’s Certificate of Necessity –which allows Peoria to operate its own ambulances – finalized by the Arizona Department of Health Services. The service will have a one-time start-up cost of about $1.15 million, and yearly operational costs of about $2.1 million after Fiscal Year 2016, which ends June 30. Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017 will split the start-up costs, with the FY2016 budget amendment providing $885,800 of the one-time funds. The remaining $261,485 will be requested for FY2017. Initially, Fiscal Year 2016 committed one-time funding of $885,800 for ambulances, training and equipment, and $1,360,811 of ongoing funds for the hiring, salaries and benefits of 16 new positions, including 14 firefighters, a billing administrative assistant and an EMS captain.

Peoria officials say the city’s application to operate its own ambulance service has been approved by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Currently, medical care and transportation in Peoria are provided by Peoria Fire-Medical firefighters and American Medical Response, which is a private ambulance company. But with the state approval of a certificate of necessity, Peoria will now start the process of running its own ambulances.

The process of seeking consent to acquire their own ambulance service began when the fire-medical department submitted a state-required Certificate of Necessity (CON) June 25 to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Their efforts continued Aug. 29, when Peoria Fire Chief Bobby Ruiz gave a presentation to the city council regarding this objective. As stated in the presentation, Peoria Fire-Medical currently has eight stations, and plans to have at least four more come online within the next decade. They want to get the ball rolling in order to have the proper resources to complete the job to the best of their ability, as well as meet the growing needs of the City of Peoria. … He sees this service being AMR, the medical transportation branch of Envision Healthcare Holdings Inc., which has recently moved to acquire the Rural/Metro Corporation after its bankruptcy in August last year. This acquisition is seen as a win for both companies that will enhance the already thriving capabilities of AMR. The acquisition will close in the fourth quarter 2015.

]]>37243Privatizing EMS ‘off the table’ in Lee Countyhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/03/privatizing-ems-off-the-table-in-lee-county.htm
Thu, 24 Mar 2016 17:12:27 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37241Source: Tracey Smith, WFXL, March 22, 2016 Lee County commissioners are urging residents not to believe everything they hear. For months, Lee County commissioners have been trying to figure out a way to make the county’s emergency services more efficient. … While privatizing EMS was an idea brought up by the board in the past, […]

Lee County commissioners are urging residents not to believe everything they hear. For months, Lee County commissioners have been trying to figure out a way to make the county’s emergency services more efficient. … While privatizing EMS was an idea brought up by the board in the past, board chairman Rick Muggridge said that idea is off the table. Muggridge said he wants to stress to the community that while Lee County has good public safety services, there is always room for improvement. …

]]>37241Bid packets for ambulance contract sent outhttp://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/2016/03/bid-packets-for-ambulance-contract-sent-out.htm
Fri, 18 Mar 2016 14:54:17 +0000http://www.afscmeinfocenter.org/privatizationupdate/?p=37170Source: Tom Smith, Times Daily, March 14, 2016 The contact for emergency medical services in Florence and Lauderdale County ends April 26, and local officials have taken steps to make sure bids are in, and a new contract in place, by that deadline. … Shoals Ambulance, based in Florence, has the exclusive contract for the […]

The contact for emergency medical services in Florence and Lauderdale County ends April 26, and local officials have taken steps to make sure bids are in, and a new contract in place, by that deadline. … Shoals Ambulance, based in Florence, has the exclusive contract for the entire county, including Florence. The company was awarded the contract in 2013. The contact can be renewed on a yearly basis for two years, which was done in 2014 and 2015. Lauderdale County Administrator Brenda Bryant said bid packets were sent to nine companies. She said the bids are scheduled to be opened March 25. The ambulance contract is a joint venture between the County Commission and the city. Bryant said once the bids have been opened, the commission and City Council will have a chance to review them. …